Any old boys still here ?

[PeterC]

To qualify as an Old boy, does one have to be old or an old membet of the Forum or both?

[Wasp]

  It could mean many things. Maybe I should have been more specific. My personal conception of the post ,is people that we met around the tracks 75-85. Racers , spectators or officials from that era and are still active on this forum.There were many of them in the early stages of the forum and I sometimes wonder how they are going.

[skypig]

A valuable and unique resource.

The “historic” “thing”is fascinating. I believe it’s mainly older guys (hardly any females) living out “glory years”

Reflected in the value of GTHOs and XU1s, etc.
The people who remember them from their youth, covet them, and some can pay huge bucks for them and do!

I predict the values will fall in the future as the people who remember them; “fall off the perch”.
Most people born in the ‘90’s, for eg, have little interest in the hot cars from the ‘70’s, and even less interest in the ground breaking ’73 CR250 Elsinore. Also kids these days are generally less interested in cars/bikes. I think it’s unlikely that someone, in 50yrs time is paying $50m for a Kia Stinger saying “these were a fast car, and used by the cops, when I was 13yo!”

This forum is likely to die, with the current members.

[Wasp]

A valuable and unique resource.


This forum is likely to die, with the current members.

Funny you say that , yes in the days we tried to be first over the line , now we try to be last over the line. 

[SUZUKI311]

still around just super busy.

[LWC82PE]

I spoke to Dukey a few weeks back he is slowly restoring that VMC/KTM 540.

Nice, please post pics if you can when done. I have got an article from Aus MC news that was a feature on Dukes own custom made sidecar kit for the KTM.

[Hoony]

I spoke to Dukey a few weeks back he is slowly restoring that VMC/KTM 540.

Nice, please post pics if you can when done. I have got an article from Aus MC news that was a feature on Dukes own custom made sidecar kit for the KTM.

i have asked him multiple time for pics of progress, i don't think he wants me to see it until its finished.
some years back i gave him contact details of LBR (Lewis brothers Racing) and he purchased a new clutch cover for the the engine (corrosion around water pump issue).

i will post pics if i get any.

can you post that article, i think i have possibly seen it posted before by yourself maybe.

[Wasp]

Hoony that bike frame was built for me I think it was 1986 (VMC copy with a extension at the head stem that I requested for more stability) . I hand luggaged a complete 540 without a frame from Zurich to Melbourne , after the last race in Spain. Two or three nights of marrying the pieces to the new frame at Wayne Mankins garage in Moorabbin , a spin up and down the bitumen road a couple pics for AMCN   and then off in the HR Holden to Raymond Terrace NSW for the ozzi titles with little sleep. Imagine hand luggaing this today ....Tank , Swingarm Engine , Seat and Radiators.     We still had ashtrays in the plane then and the service with food and beverages was generous. A packet of Winfield Blue was 95 cents and a pot of beer a 1$

[Hoony]

Hoony that bike frame was built for me I think it was 1986 (VMC copy with a extension at the head stem that I requested for more stability) . I hand luggaged a complete 540 without a frame from Zurich to Melbourne , after the last race in Spain. Two or three nights of marrying the pieces to the new frame at Wayne Mankins garage in Moorabbin , a spin up and down the bitumen road a couple pics for AMCN   and then off in the HR Holden to Raymond Terrace NSW for the ozzi titles with little sleep. Imagine hand luggaing this today ....Tank , Swingarm Engine , Seat and Radiators.     We still had ashtrays in the plane then and the service with food and beverages was generous. A packet of Winfield Blue was 95 cents and a pot of beer a 1$

 i didn't know this or i had forgotten (too many beers ago    )

much simpler and better times indeed back then. and yes  i remember that workshop where Dukey operated out of back then. how did you go at the Oz titles that year ?

that one was probably the only frame he made do you think ?

[vmxrider]

Been a while. Once a daily ritual to check what was going on in the forum. Still riding old dirt bikes, mainly historic regoed 70's trail bikes around the streets and occasionally a trail ride at Menai. I seem to remember Ozvmx evolved from the Petshop forum from the early 2000's . ?Long time ago. Went quick.

[Wasp]

 i didn't know this or i had forgotten (too many beers ago    )

much simpler and better times indeed back then. and yes  i remember that workshop where Dukey operated out of back then. how did you go at the Oz titles that year ?

that one was probably the only frame he made do you think ?
[/quote]

Hoony , not sure if he made one or two . My frame was blue instead of the orange VMC color. With no time left for jetting we had to run the standard 800 Meter sea level setting from Europe and that was a bit rich . So the starts were miserable and we had to fight our way from the back on the one line narrow track . I think we ended up 5th overall .It was hard work .I then sold the frame for $100 to Steve Truscott and he and his Husband used it for the local 24 hr trails for a few years. I swapped back to EML Jumbo 820 Watercooled next year and it was much more fun . I still have a funny memory of that event at Raymond Terrace . A over eagerly official in a white coat requested us to do a noise test ( in the middle of the bush LOL. I asked him if I could inspect his device . I looked at it closely and handed it back to him , telling him that this was a four stroke device . LOL . He took it and put his toy  back in his car  . LOL

[PeterC]

Interesting observation re scrutineering and sound levels. Some of us may remember times when there were no sound limits and no mufflers on 2 strokes.
We often did our own scrutineering in Victoria for "Chairs" as the solo guys weren't interested in us. Even now scrutineering needs some thought prior to entry.

[Wasp]

Interesting observation re scrutineering and sound levels. Some of us may remember times when there were no sound limits and no mufflers on 2 strokes.
We often did our own scrutineering in Victoria for "Chairs" as the solo guys weren't interested in us. Even now scrutineering needs some thought prior to entry.

Raymond Terrace is (was then )a long way away from built up areas.  This clown just wanted to use his authority and new toy . Just to clear it up , two strokes , for strokes or rotary engines use the same unit . I just made that up on day to move the man on LOL.

[Hoony]

Interesting observation re scrutineering and sound levels. Some of us may remember times when there were no sound limits and no mufflers on 2 strokes.
We often did our own scrutineering in Victoria for "Chairs" as the solo guys weren't interested in us. Even now scrutineering needs some thought prior to entry.

Raymond Terrace is (was then )a long way away from built up areas.  This clown just wanted to use his authority and new toy . Just to clear it up , two strokes , for strokes or rotary engines use the same unit . I just made that up on day to move the man on LOL.

Ha nice bluff         

[Graeme M]

from memory the original forum started before 2007, it got hacked by some Turkish clowns and Graeme had to start again and we all had to sign up again.

From memory I started the forum in about September 2004, not long after Ray Ryan passed. At the time, we didn't know if VMX magazine would continue so I came up with the forum to allow everyone to keep in touch and share the passion. I did lose the original forum as mentioned, but don't recall when that was. 2007 sounds about right. I still have backups and content from way back then.

It's odd to see I still have the Admin role - I passed all of that on to Kenneth maybe 10 years ago.